


Free Me Tenderly

by vade_brucestephenbucky



Series: Vade's Ironstrange Bingo 2020 [3]
Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - 1920s, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Friends to Lovers, Hurt Stephen Strange, IronStrange Bingo 2020, M/M, Post-World War I
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-04
Updated: 2020-05-04
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:28:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23995297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vade_brucestephenbucky/pseuds/vade_brucestephenbucky
Summary: Stephen Strange attends a business meeting with his father, a controlling businessman with no regard for his well-being. Tony Stark takes notice of his unacceptable behavior towards his son in this meeting and decides to intervene, much to the discontent of Stephen's unruly father.
Relationships: Tony Stark/Stephen Strange
Series: Vade's Ironstrange Bingo 2020 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1651507
Comments: 11
Kudos: 77
Collections: IronStrange Bingo 2020





	Free Me Tenderly

**Author's Note:**

> For the IronStrange Bingo square, "1920s"

“Mister Stark, what a pleasure it is to finally meet you! My son and I have eagerly awaited this meeting.”

The three men entered a boardroom, the building plans of Stark Industries hung next to the hat holder on the wall. An assistant shut the door behind the men. 

Tony shook his hand firmly in an attempt to hide his nervous state around the older man. He forced a smile and spoke, “As have I, Mister Strange.” The man’s lack of acknowledgment to his son but excitement towards himself and the meeting was off-putting to Tony, but he did not regret coming to this meeting as of yet. 

“Oh, please, call me Eugene. My son is the one who likes the formalities.” The businessman responded and ran a hand through his slicked-back grey hair as he hung his hat on the hook. “Don’t you, Stephen?” 

Tony watched the younger man's expressions as he reacted to his father’s comments. Stephen was uncomfortable in the presence of his father, but his relaxed persona was enough to hide any sign of discontent of his appearance in his mind. 

Of course, Tony noticed the slight change in his demeanor as Stephen shied away from his father’s elbow in his side. He studied the man. Stephen crossed his arms against his chest, stepped back, and swallowed, and after a moment of recuperation, he regained his relaxed composure. The direction of his attention then shifted to Tony. 

“You could say that,” Stephen responded and plastered a small smile to his father. He brought his hand away from his chest, exchanging a handshake with Tony. His fingertips were light against Tony’s, a comfortable difference in comparison to the exchange with Stephen’s father. 

Tony’s chest leaped when he let his touch caress against the man's tender scars on Stephen's fingers. He hid this excitement everywhere but his eyes, for they involuntarily widened from the sudden sensation of the other man's pulse beneath his skin. His eyes then met Tony’s, and the men were locked in each other’s gaze. 

“Thank you, Mister Stark,” Stephen began and shifted his artificial smile to what Tony read as a genuine one. “For agreeing to meet with us today, and for all your contributions to the field of technology and energy.”

Tony smiled and brought his hand back to his side. 

“I also would like to thank you for your funding to the medical effort during the war,” Stephen said, his eyes shining as he spoke about his field of practice. 

“Were you in the war?”

Before Stephen could answer, his father stepped between the two men abruptly, his eyes bearing deep into Tony's. “Mister Stark, your electricity pioneering company has ensured that all Americans will have access to electricity in the coming future. Without you, half of Americans would not have power, and with you, the other half will as soon as possible,” he exclaimed. 

“Our company hopes to have widespread use of power in America by 1929,” Tony responded and the forced smile returned to his lips. He caught Stephen’s relaxed expression shift into light shock and disdain when his father split them up in the corner of his eyes.

“I also commend you for your ability to change the way the war was won!” Stephen’s father continued, his smile never wavering. “Without your reengineering of modern combat technology, millions of more soldiers would be dead on the battlefield and the war might still be raging on today.” 

“And shall we simply ignored the devastating effects of the Spanish flu during the war and how Mister Stark financed the supplies needed to combat and treat the virus on the frontlines?” Stephen spoke from behind his father, his eyes low. “Even if the war is currently over, people like myself who treated the virus are still suffering and can no longer serve the public because of their time in the war.” 

“Oh, how are you suffering, son?” His father snapped, facing the younger man as anger entered his eyes, and heat rushed to his face. “You are the heir to a prestigious medical company and are complaining about not being able to serve the public because your hands shake a little. You weren’t even fighting for this country, you nearly got yourself killed in the safe compartments of an army hospital! Quit crying for attention, my son, for this well-minded man behind me will not give it to you.”

Tony’s blood boiled as he listened to the man berating his son. If his eyes didn’t deceive him, tears began to well in Stephen’s eyes. “Mister Strange, if you honestly believe that I would discredit this man’s service in the American military simply because he was an army medic, one of the most important factors in the war effort mind you, you must see me as an arrogant jerk.” 

Eugene Strange shifted around once again, his mouth falling open from Tony’s jarring statements about himself and his son. It was now clear to Tony that he saw Stephen as less of a man compared to himself. 

“Are you blind to see that your son cares about the health of the American public unlike yourself? Did you regret to notice the death numbers skyrocket after the war because your net worth rose as more supplies were needed to treat the millions of sufferers and were being purchased from your company? Are you denying your son’s contribution to the winning of the war simply because he held a scalpel and not a rifle? Because he saved lives and not ended them?” Tony continued, signaling for Stephen to step away from his father. 

Stephen did so and moved behind Tony, watching the scene play out between the two men. 

“Stephen sacrificed the efficiency and stability of his hands by staying at the height of the disease and treat the ones who needed to be treated. Your son is a more medically conscious and a much better man than you will ever be if you cannot recognize and appreciate how much he participated in the war and public health effort. Because of your behavior towards your son, I will not be working with your company, for I cannot support your downplaying of his accomplishments and sacrifice to get you where you are today. Please leave my office at once.” 

Eugene Strange stood in awe of the man and his defense of Stephen. He wished to justify his actions, but he had already defined himself as a fool and would not continue this meeting any longer. He could not sacrifice his status as a businessman any longer. 

“Come, my son,” Eugene Strange asserted and adjusted his suit jacket. He pursed his lips and unconsciously turned up his nose as he made his way to the door. He took his hat from the hook and placed it atop his head. “We do not need this man’s business, nor do we want it.” 

Stephen did not follow his father and stood by Tony’s side. “Father, I will meet you at the front desk.” His voice was firm in tone but shook from the shock of his Tony’s rebuttal to his father. It was the first time in his life that he felt seen. 

“Stephen Strange, as you are my son, come with me at once!” His father bellowed, stamping his foot on the ground. 

Stephen took a deep breath in and calmly shook his head. “Father, wait for me in the car, or I shall meet you at the front desk. I would like to speak with Mister Stark without your presence. I will be out in a moment.” 

Eugene Strange held back his protests and he swung the wooden door shut behind himself.

“Why do you let him treat you that way, Stephen?” Tony inquired, letting out a sigh of frustration.

Stephen turned around, facing the man. “I’m the head of the medical division at his company, so I have to put up with him. But, God, I hate him.”

“There’s a position that just opened up at SI if you want it. It’s all yours,” Tony stated and eased towards the man. Their eyes met once again.

Stephen sighed, gazing into the man’s eyes as he battled an internal conflict between his happiness and his position at his father’s company. “He’s going to disown me if I do, Tony.” 

“You don’t need him, Stephen. You don’t need anyone who treats you as less of a human. You are too much of a good person to work under him for the rest of your life.”

Stephen understood that Tony’s concern was genuine, for it was not the words of his mouth but his pleading eyes that convinced Stephen he needed to take the offer. 

“I accept the position,” Stephen declared and gave a confident smile. “Thank you so much for this, Tony.” 

Tony smiled brightly. “My head of the medical department just retired. Think of it as a thank you for your service to this country. I think you will be the man of best fit,” he replied and shook hands with Stephen. Their hands lingered together while Tony studied the scars that ran down each of Stephen’s fingers and over the tops of his hands. 

Stephen noticed his eyes trailing the scars on his hands. “I was operating on a patient who had an internal injury when a bomb went off in our building,” he explained, recalling the event to the man as he remembered it himself. “And I went flying face-first into a window. Of course, I covered my face, and all the glass found itself in my hands. I was sent home because I could no longer do my job as a surgeon. It was when I returned to America after being discharged that I became less of a man in the mind of my father.” He paused, their hands still in the position they were in when he began.

“We were never close, but that’s when his behavior towards me drastically altered. I do believe he would have been happier if I had perished thousands of miles away from here,” Stephen admitted, the weight of these sorrows on his chest slowly becoming lighter as he spoke with Tony. 

Tony shook his head in dismay. “Your father is a cruel man, Stephen. Tell me, do you live with him?” 

“Thankfully, I do not,” Stephen answered. “He lives with my brother and my mother upstate and rides the train down here every morning. Hopefully, that’ll make the transition from that position to this one. But, Tony, I really cannot thank you enough for this. I owe you a great debt.” 

“I simply could not watch your father treat you so terribly when I had a father who did the same thing to me,” Tony confessed. “He reminded me too much of my father, and I cannot stand for such behavior in my office.” He let his thumb run across the scar on his pointer finger as he pulled his hand away from Stephen’s. Tony looked up from the man’s hands and met Stephen’s eyes. 

Stephen felt his heart race in his chest from the extended eye contact and physical affection from the man. He no longer felt like a stranger in the presence of him. 

“Tony…” he managed and eased closer to Tony, filling the space between them. 

Tony brought his hand to Stephen’s cheek and stroked the skin softly, resting his left arm at the man’s hip. “I will not tell anyone what happens between us, Stephen. You can trust me,” he spoke softly to ensure the man’s calmness. 

“I trust you, Tony.” Stephen wrapped his arms around Tony’s waist, and what little space that had been between them was no more. His breath hitched as their lips met. 

The men shared a slow, tender kiss as they rested against one another in the silence of the boardroom. Heat radiated from their bodies. Stephen’s lips were unkempt and chapped, but contentment washed over Stephen as Tony kissed the man. Stephen’s hands trembled at the man’s waist as Tony’s hand continued to caress his cheek. 

Tony longed to feel such raw emotion as he did in this kiss for the rest of his days. No man had made him feel so capable of expressing his love as Stephen did. 

It was at this moment that Stephen, after an undefinable amount of time, had felt at peace. He no longer had to worry about the confines of his father’s ideas of what he should be. 

Stephen parted from the kiss and exhaled, the expression on his face one of pure bliss. “I have to go now,” he said, his voice low.

Tony nodded. “I understand.” He brought his hands back to his side and smiled at Stephen. “I will see you tomorrow, Stephen.” 

“Yes, until tomorrow.”

**Author's Note:**

> i might just write more in this AU. i LOVED writing in this timeline and there is so much more i could go into about their relationship. i hope you enjoyed it as well :)


End file.
